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CLAUDE DELAVAL COBHAM
Exerpta Cypria
page 147

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great towel's, or at least '* powder to the Caraffa b the ammunition, and with all possible speed to send α cartload of my own blood, and tharìon. It was for the general good, and though I was stained with the houses of Giannch i._pur Christian brethren, I went with dne haste. On the read near the gunners and I cfc 9Mnscomo we saw twenty-five janissaries, and the Vice-Captain of enemy crowded in, aw -* to some Italians and Greeks who would not come with us. The not come in time. G.imch blood was spilt in that quarter. The powder was sent, but did Podochatoro bastion an Filippo da Milano went on horseback (for he was gouty) to the Fighting sdii contini encourage the soldiers: he was struck by a musket ball and killed, fellows died. Our S I on this bastion, aud the others were still defended. All onr brave charged and brokei Üdiot horse, if it had been ready at the moment, might certainly have duty in the bastionile enemy, bnt from the first they were dismounted and set on guard and others, who VBy this one can understand how sensible was the advice of Sosoinenino pensioners and fei^ed to keep these Stradiots, and the five hundred horsemen of the when the enemy f ' tories, who were not trained>as infantry, mounted and ready, so that been drawn up ineWl their way in, this cavalry should drive them out. They might have perhaps for tweiÏOé rond between the city wall and the houses, for this was wide enough •""**• done, troopers abreast. But Colonel Palazzi» did not approve of this, and it No other heip"c:;ine, we coniti do nothing more, tmd to our sorrow the Turks Avere able to force their way in. On one side they rushed wildly into the city, on another they went to attack the men who were defending the Constanze bastion, which they entered from the town : our soldiers were surrounded aud cnt in pieces. 'Many of the citizens defended themselves bravely : many of the Ceruide, aud most of the other villagers, seeing the multitude of the enemy and the number of the dead, in cowardly wise ran away : no prayers of ours, no orders from their commanders had power to make them stop and face the foe. What seemed so strange to me was that numbers of these rascals climbed down through the embrasures to get ont of the city, and in their haste to escape fell into the snare. There was righting in the streets and the Miliares, but with no kind of order. A stout defence was made in the quarter of SS. Peter and Paul, in front of the Cathedral Church of the Greeks, and in the two narrow streets near the Greek bishop's house; and here were killed very many Greek monks and priests, and also, it is said, two bishops. We went to find Signor Tutio Constarne to act as our leader and guide, and being now assembled in some number we moved towards the sqnare : here we met a crowd of villagers running away, who disheartened onr escort. The Reverend Provincial of the Carmini and I took a great cross and exhorted them as earnestly as possible, now addressing the infantry, now the horsemen. But though we spent tiro whole hours in haranguing them, and putting before them all the troubles which followed, we did little good ; and this for two reasons, one because the Pasha, seeing the tremendous slaughter, bid them surrender and thus save their lives: many fools among us believed hiin, and threw down their arms, stripping themselves even of what they wanted for their defence. The second, because some fiend or other put it into the hearts of the Italians and Greeks to buret open the Bemba gate, and fly towards the mountains and Cerines. As soon as it viae open many rushed ont, but many were killed by the Turkish cavalry, others were made prisoners, and few escaped. Gioan Fillipo Lnsignano fled to the hills, with M. Flatro di Flatri, Zanetto de Nores, Hector Iris son, and Alfonso Bragadino. Meanwhile a few brave men with great swords defended the Pisani square and that of the Palace. I think the fight mnet have lasted some seven or eight hours. Before this Andrea Pesaro, a Patrician of Venice, sought out the Lieutenant, and finding him in front of the 18—2 CALEPIO. 13fl

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